ONE problem with renewable energy is that neither the wind nor the sun is reliable. That cannot, however, be said of the tides.
The Newtonian clockwork of sun and Moon can always be relied on. The problem with exploiting tidal power has, rather, been finding places to do it efficiently: bays or estuaries with a suitable tidal reach and a topography that permits a barrage to be constructed. Only then, with established designs, can turbines be installed through which the tide can ebb and flow.
That would change, though, if turbines could simply be attached to the sea floor. And several firms are trying to make it so. Some, such as Andritz Hydro Hammerfest, in Norway, and Marine Current Turbines from Bristol, in Britain, take the relatively simple approach of sticking what are little more than strengthened wind turbines onto the seabed.
In the case of such turbines, though, bigger is better. And, since a turbine is not much use if its blades stick above the surface, that means they need to be located in reasonably deep water. Which is a shame, because a lot of otherwise-suitable sites are too shallow.
Not all wind turbines work this way, though. Some smaller ones are skeletal cylindrical structures whose axes of rotation are at right-angles to the direction of the wind, rather than aligned with it. And that, with the important modification that this axis is horizontal rather than vertical, is the basis for several novel designs for tidal-power generators which can operate in shallow water too.
Engineers at Ocean Renewable Power Company, in Portland, Maine, and Kepler Energy, in London, both use this approach. And Ocean Renewable is starting to commercialise it. In September 2012 its TidGen generator was deployed in the Gulf of Maine. It thus became the first plant to deliver offshore-generated power of any kind (wind, wave or tidal) to an American electricity grid.
Kepler is a little behind, but is hoping to try out a full-scale version of its Transverse Horizontal Axis Water Turbine in the Bristol Channel soon. Its engineers’ calculations suggest this device will generate 50% more power from a given tidal stream that a conventional turbine can manage.
The Latest Bing News on:
Tidal power
- Ocean Power Market to Reach $7.8 Bn, Globally, by 2031 at 21.4% CAGR: Allied Market Researchon June 23, 2022 at 6:10 am
Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Ocean Power Market by Type (Tidal Barrages, Tidal Stream, Wave Energy, Others), by Application (Power Generation, Desalination, Water Pumping): ...
- The Motion of the Ocean Could Be the Next Big Source of Green Energyon June 23, 2022 at 4:00 am
Charles Babbage, the English mathematician and inventor, found himself preoccupied with what might happen should coal mines—then and now one of the primary sources of usable energy—become depleted.
- Japan Just Finished Testing a Massive Deep-Sea Tidal Turbineon June 22, 2022 at 7:00 am
The Japanese are hoping tidal power will be a significant contributor to the country's renewable energy stock.
- Tidal power projecton June 22, 2022 at 6:45 am
Antonio Ver, co-chairman and chief executive of Energies PH Inc., says the company is launching a series of firsts in ...
- Wave and Tidal Energy Market Size Worth USD 4.41 Billion, Globally, by 2028 at 33.2% CAGRon June 22, 2022 at 6:04 am
The global wave and tidal energy size is expected to grow from USD 0.59 billion in 2021 to USD 4.41 billion in 2028: it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 33.2% from 2021 to 2028.Pune, India, June 22, ...
- Tidal power: How the Bay of Fundy can be used as renewable energyon June 18, 2022 at 5:40 am
Located just off Nova Scotia's Brier Island, six turbines attached to a floating platform are generating enough electricity to power 150 homes.
- Heat wave: how Orkney is leading a tidal power revolutionon June 17, 2022 at 11:00 pm
Strong tides make conditions in the Scottish islands ideal, but can the UK grasp the opportunity to become a leader in the sector?
- Maine company plans to bring tidal power back to Eastporton June 17, 2022 at 1:15 pm
The device would be part of a microgrid aimed at bringing backup power to the area’s chain of bridged islands.
- Sustainable Marine now delivering electricity to Nova Scotia grid from tidal energyon June 14, 2022 at 6:34 pm
Sustainable Marine has officially powered up its tidal energy operation in Canada and is delivering clean electricity to the power system in Nova Scotia, on the country’s Atlantic coast. The company’s ...
- Sustainable Marine powers up tidal energy in Nova Scotiaon June 13, 2022 at 10:28 pm
Sustainable Marine has officially powered up its tidal energy operation in Canada and is delivering clean electricity to Nova Scotia's power system. The company declared that its syst. . .
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Tidal power
The Latest Bing News on:
Tidal-power generators
- Ocean Power Market to Reach $7.8 Bn, Globally, by 2031 at 21.4% CAGR: Allied Market Researchon June 23, 2022 at 6:10 am
Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Ocean Power Market by Type (Tidal Barrages, Tidal Stream, Wave Energy, Others), by Application (Power Generation, Desalination, Water Pumping): ...
- The Motion of the Ocean Could Be the Next Big Source of Green Energyon June 23, 2022 at 4:00 am
Charles Babbage, the English mathematician and inventor, found himself preoccupied with what might happen should coal mines—then and now one of the primary sources of usable energy—become depleted.
- Japan Just Finished Testing a Massive Deep-Sea Tidal Turbineon June 22, 2022 at 7:00 am
The Japanese are hoping tidal power will be a significant contributor to the country's renewable energy stock.
- Wave and Tidal Energy Market Size Worth USD 4.41 Billion, Globally, by 2028 at 33.2% CAGRon June 22, 2022 at 6:04 am
The global wave and tidal energy size is expected to grow from USD 0.59 billion in 2021 to USD 4.41 billion in 2028: it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 33.2% from 2021 to 2028.Pune, India, June 22, ...
- Heat wave: how Orkney is leading a tidal power revolutionon June 17, 2022 at 11:00 pm
Strong tides make conditions in the Scottish islands ideal, but can the UK grasp the opportunity to become a leader in the sector?
- Maine company plans to bring tidal power back to Eastporton June 17, 2022 at 1:15 pm
The device would be part of a microgrid aimed at bringing backup power to the area’s chain of bridged islands.
- 330-Ton Underwater Power Generator Heading For Deploymenton June 16, 2022 at 9:19 am
Japan has turned to the oceans to produce continuous, reliable, green energy. After years of development and real-world testing, ...
- Engineers Look to River and Ocean Currents for Clean Energyon June 14, 2022 at 1:34 pm
The Department of Energy is helping to fund 11 projects that are designed to harness the power of moving water ...
- Sustainable Marine powers up tidal energy in Nova Scotiaon June 13, 2022 at 10:28 pm
Sustainable Marine has officially powered up its tidal energy operation in Canada and is delivering clean electricity to Nova Scotia's power system. The company declared that its syst. . .
- Tidal Energy System Powers Up in Nova Scotiaon June 13, 2022 at 12:59 pm
A tidal energy system has officially powered up and is now delivering clean electricity to Nova Scotia’s power system, making ...